Coffee and Cake
by wallACEwho
Summary: Looking back on her life Jill Pole realised that all the important things in her life came down to two things. Coffee and Cake.


Authors Note: Nothing belongs me. It all belongs to CS. Lewis.

Eustace/Jill. Because they just make sense. Could you really track down a missing Prince with a depressed Marshwiggle and not end up feeling something. I think not.

**Coffee and Cake**

Scrubb walked into the common room to see Pole sitting on the sofa with a large box in her hands. It also appeared that she had been crying. Walking over he sat down beside her.

"What's up Pole" he asked quietly

"My mum sent me cake" she balled

"What's so bad about that" Scrubb asked "cake is lovely".

Suddenly Pole turned on him with an angry look plastered across her face "You don't understand do you Scrubb"

Just as suddenly Scrubb felt anger boiling up inside him and before he could stop himself snapped back "Well I might understand things better if you explained them instead of yelling at me for no reason". The minute those words left his mouth two things happened. One was that he immediately regretted saying them and the other was that Pole's face crumpled as if her anger was the only thing keeping it up.

"I'm sorry Scrubb" she blubbed "it's not your fault"

"No" shot back Scrubb "its me who should be sorry, your upset and I shouldn't have yelled". "Thanks Scrubb" whispered Pole "now" Scrubb suggested "how about I make some coffee and you tell me what's up."

A few minutes later both Pole and Scrubb were seated in armchairs with a cup of coffee. Pole had found some plates and had shared out the cake as well. "Jolly good cake this" murmured Scrubb taking a bite, but seeing that Pole still looked upset he swallowed and looked at her "So" he said leaning back "what is so dreadful about cake"

"Its not really the cake" replied Pole "Its just that the only reason my family sends cake is when something important happens like a birth or a death" she stopped for a second

"And" prompted Scrubb

"And" whispered Pole "according to the letter that came with the cake my granddad died on Sunday". With this statement she broke down and started crying again.

"Oh Jill" murmured Scrubb and putting down his coffee cup he walked over to Pole's armchair and gathered her up in a hug. She was too upset too notice that he had used her first name.

* * *

Scrubb walked out of the church and stood staring at the sky. It was a nice day, the sun was shining and he was sure he could hear birds singing in the trees. Normally if he was off school on a day like this he would be enjoying it. He and Pole might be practising archery. However this was no normal day off, in fact he should have been in school.

Suddenly he realised that Pole was standing beside him.

"Off in fairy land again" she teased

"Just thinking" he countered. Putting an arm over Pole's shoulder he turned to look at her. "You okay" he asked

"Yeah" she murmured "but thanks for coming today Scrubb"

"Hey" he said "you're my friend and your granddad was obviously important to you, besides" he muttered "I wouldn't be here if you hadn't pestered the head in to letting me come."

Pole smiled, the first proper smile he'd seen since the letter had arrived "you owe me one" she joked

"Anytime" Scrubb looked at his watch "we've got about half hour till we need to catch our train" he shot her a small smile "why don't we go get some coffee."

* * *

A few months later Scrubb and Pole were seated in armchairs in front of the fire talking.

"So" Pole said looking directly at Scrubb "I hear that someone has been spending rather a lot of time with Lottie Turner",

"Drat it all" grumbled Scrubb "not you as well, if anything Turner's been spending time with me" Pole almost laughed but Scrubb just continued with his tirade " I mean everywhere I go there she is. It's like she's equipped with some kind of radar. You know they never used to be like this".

"Well" said Pole a smile stretching from ear to ear "you know what's changed don't you"

"No" said Scrubb with a note of surprise in his voice "what"

"You're in the rugby team now" laughed Pole "that makes you eligible by _their_ standards"

"Fiddlesticks" moaned Scrubb. Just then Tate walked in with a large box under one arm and came over to them

"This just arrived for you Pole" she said then put the box on the table and left, picking the box up Pole took the letter that was taped to the top and opened it.

A few minutes later Pole looked up from the letter with a smile on her face.

"What's in the box" asked Scrubb. Opening it Pole removed a rather large cake, a look of surprise passed over Scrubb's face as he stood up, "I'll put the coffee on" he murmured.

After Scrubb had made the coffee and Pole had cut the cake they took their seats again.

"So" enquired Scrubb after a few minutes had passed "good news or bad news",

"Defiantly good news" said Pole smiling "My mum's just had a baby"

"What" cried Scrubb "did you know she was pregnant" "of course" smirked Pole "she told me at the funeral"

* * *

Yet again Scrubb found himself out of school waiting for Pole. However this time he was outside a hospital instead of a church and this time they had not had to pester the headmaster as since the funeral Experiment House had imposed a rule that all students travelling away from school on family business must be accompanied by another student. So when Pole went to see her new sister naturally she asked Scrubb to come with her. Sitting down on a bench to wait for her he reflected. He and Pole had become a lot closer of late. They shared coffee most evenings and helped each other with prep. Plus Pole was always there to meet him after rugby practise and she stood on the sidelines at most of the home games. In return he met her after drama rehearsals and attended all of her plays. Now here he was waiting to hear about the new member of Pole's family.

The bench sagged slightly as another person sat down and he looked round to see it was Pole. "So" he said "what's the newest Pole like"

"She's perfect" gushed Pole and went on to talk about everything from the baby's weight to its hair colour. When she stopped to take a breath Scrubb cut in

"So do your parents know what they are going to call her yet" "Louise Mary Pole" answered Pole "Oh" she added "I asked my parents if you could come and stay with us over the summer and they said yes"

"Thanks Pole" Scrub said smiling. He made to get up but Pole pushed him back down

"One last thing" she said and picking up the two polystyrene cups by her feet handed one to Scrubb "have some coffee".

* * *

Scrubb lay on his bed thinking. What was it about Pole that he liked so much? Granted she was his best friend but so (in a way) was Peterson and yet you never saw Scrubb waiting outside the changing rooms for him after rugby practise the way he waited around outside the drama studio for Jill. That was another thing when had she cessed to be Pole and started to be Jill. Finally why did he hate it so much when there were rumours about him and people like Lottie Turner but not care when people said things about him and Pole. Suddenly the answer hit him like a cricket bat and he realised what he had to do.

Pole walked into the common room to find it deserted apart from Scrubb sitting in their usual seats in front of the fire. In front of him were their usually cups of coffee but there was also what looked suspiciously like a large chocolate cake "you like it Pole" said Scrubb as she sat down "Turner made it for me, turns out she is good for some things."

"It's lovely Scrubb but what's it for?" Pole replied having trouble keeping the surprise out of her voice.

"Sit down, enjoy the cake and all will be explained. I've managed to persuade everyone to leave for half an hour so we can have some privacy oh and can we drop the surnames for a little bit."

"Okay Eustace" said Pole sitting down "how was rugby?"

Once the coffee and cake was finished Pole put down her cup and turned to Scrubb "Okay Eustace you said you would explain, so explain."

Scrubb now looked a bit sheepish "well it's like this Jill" he managed to say "you said that the only reason you get cake is when something important happens and as something important is going to happen in about one minute I thought it merited cake"

"what's going to happen" murmured Pole

"This" replied Scrubb and with that he walked over to her chair gathered her up in a hug and kissed her. When they came up for air Scrubb looked Pole right in the eye and whispered "I love you Jill"

Looking back a few years later Jill Pole realised that all the important things in her life came down to two things, coffee and cake.

Please Review. It helps me improve.


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